DraftKings NBA Picks for March 1
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for March 1
Our March kicks off with 11 NBA games for the main DraftKings tournament. Most of the stars are on display, but not Russell Westbrook. Who can produce like him tonight? Is there anyone that can come close?
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The money line was back up to 265.75 last night. Both of my lineups missed it because of terrible nights from Nikola Mirotic and Al-Farouq Aminu.
The winning lineup relied on Detroit’s value, namely Ish Smith and Marcus Morris, to gain the grand prize. Also, a career night by Julius Randle put him over the top.
Tonight we may have to keep an eye on resting players from the six games that went on last night. We will keep you updated on Twitter even if we can’t get back to this article!
I can’t stress enough how important it is to watch our Twitter feed right up until lock time. We will try and relay the information out to you as soon as we can, along with any lineup changes. If you aren’t able to do that, my best advice is to lay off of anyone that may be injured.
If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for $20 worth of free entry tickets. We have plenty of advice on the site to help you turn that into a solid bankroll!
Point Guards
Best Bets:
James Harden ($11,700): At least tonight you don’t have to make the tough call of whether to play Westbrook or Harden. If you are going to pay up for someone, it should be the Beard. He had 77.75 DraftKings points in the first game against the Clippers. Stephen Curry obliterated the Clippers from the perimeter earlier this week as well. Expect Harden to hit 6x value, even at this price. That is a rare thing to get!
John Wall ($10,200): Worried about Harden being highly owned? Wall is a suitable pivot if the Wizards let him play. Wall was questionable leading up to last night’s game due to an illness. He ended up playing 40 minutes and topping 50 DraftKings points due to his career-high 19 assists. Expect another strong showing from wall considering that he put up 60.75 DraftKings in the first meeting with Toronto. He could be in for more with Kyle Lowry out.
Honorable Mention:
Kyrie Irving ($8,700): Irving has 99.75 DraftKings points in two games against Boston this year. He has also picked up his production with Kevin Love out. Irving is averaging 46.3 DraftKings points per game with Love out. Considering how he has done against Boston this year, he could hit 6x value tonight.
Isaiah Thomas ($8,500): Thomas has been almost as good against Kyrie and Kyrie has been against him. Thomas has 93 DraftKings points in the two games. He has cooled down after a blistering start to the New Year, but Thomas is still a solid producer. He is a suitable contrarian play to Irving or the top options.
George Hill ($6,300): Hill has 77.25 DraftKings points in two games against Minnesota this season. Ricky Rubio is nearly the same price, and most will pivot towards him with Zach LaVine out, but don’t be fooled. Rubio is under 4x value against the Jazz this year. If you are looking for someone in this range, go Hill over Rubio.
Dark Horses:
Elfrid Payton ($6,000): We are still waiting patiently for consistency from Payton, but we may not see it this year. The Knicks are a bad matchup for Payton on paper, but they may be the only highly rated team against point guards that he has done well against. Payton has 71.25 DraftKings points in the two games against them this season. He is a risk because of his inconsistency, but if he pulls another 35, that is nearly 6x value!
Cory Joseph ($5,400): The price hasn’t adjusted to Joseph being the starter for the rest of the regular season yet. Washington wont be an easy matchup for him, but if Wall ends up sitting, Joseph could have a huge day for his price. Even if Wall plays, 6x value could be attainable for Joseph.
Ish Smith ($4,500): Reggie Jackson predictably saw a few more minutes and opportunities than Ish last night. In retaliation, Smith picked up seven assists and seven steals to go with his double digit points. Jackson had a decent night, but Smith was the sparkplug that led the Pistons to an overtime win. He is a much better option than Jackson right now.
My picks: Harden(PG), Joseph(G), Smith(UTIL); Joseph(PG)
Shooting Guards
Best Bets:
DeMar DeRozan ($9,300): I don’t care if DeMar were playing the ’96 Bulls right now. I wouldn’t fade him. DeRozan has 154.75 DraftKings points in just three games with Kyle Lowry out. Everything goes through him now, so even a matchup against the Wizards isn’t enough to scare me off. Though I will say that I expect little more than 5x value from him tonight. However, he did assault the Wizards for 57.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting.
Dion Waiters ($6,800): What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, Waiters was battling for minutes on the Oklahoma City bench. Now he is a key player for a Heat team that is pushing for a playoff spot. He has at least 5x value in six of his last nine games. Waiters has 73 DraftKings points in two games against the Sixers this year. He should flirt with 6x value again tonight.
Honorable Mention:
Lou Williams ($6,100): LouWill’s Rockets career is off to a good start. He has 103.75 DraftKings points in 79 minutes in his first three games. He is finding plenty of open looks on a high scoring team. Don’t look for his production to falter anytime soon.
Seth Curry ($5,900): Curry has averaged 37.4 DraftKings points in three games since the waiving of Deron Williams. He is proving to be one of the better scorers on the team, and now gets an Atlanta team that has struggled with guards all year long. He should have no issues hitting 6x value tonight.
Gary Harris ($5,900): Harris again posted his normal line (mostly) with 29 DraftKings points. As long as he continues to be the leading scorer off the bench, Harris is a low risk option, but he doesn’t have much upside with Denver fully healthy. That makes him more of a cash game option.
Dark Horses:
Malcolm Brogdon ($5,000): Brogdon has been on fire over the last two games, putting up 62.75 DraftKings points in 55 minutes. In what promises to be another shootout with Denver, Brogdon has an excellent chance to keep his 6x value streak going.
Sean Kilpatrick ($4,400): Randy Foye may be the starter, but Kilpatrick is the one who scores the points. His production has been sporadic lately, but he racked up 36.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting with the Kings. Sacramento has been collecting guards lately, but they still don’t have a great defender among them. Kilpatrick could have another good night if the minutes hold up.
Rodney Hood ($4,100): Hood is getting his legs back under him after nearly a month off. Hood has 49.75 DraftKings points over the last two games. He is still mostly a shooter, but he is capable of putting up a lot of points since he plays around 30 minutes per game again now. 6x value is likely, even against a team like Minnesota.
My pick: DeRozan(SG); Curry(SG), Hood(G)
Small Forwards
Best Bets:
LeBron James ($10,900): It is harder for the King to get value when his price is this high, but he has 115.75 DraftKings points in two games against Boston so far this year. That puts him over 5x value. Though Irving shoulders much of the load with Love out, Lebron’s numbers increase a little as well.
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,500): The Bucks have been playing their own little version of Where’s Waldo with Giannis lately. He has played at every position but center this month. That means we need to look at a team’s defense as a whole and not just by position. Well, Denver gives up a whole lot of points. Giannis will get his. He has a whole lot of upside no matter where he plays, and is a good pivot off of the stability of LeBron.
Honorable Mention:
Robert Covington ($7,500): Covington has been hotter than anyone in this price range of late. He has averaged 42.3 DraftKings points per game since Philadelphia began shipping off pieces. Miami is pretty strong against small forwards, but Covington has 69 DraftKings points against them in two games. He should be at or over 5x value again tonight. He is a hard one to fade right now.
Andrew Wiggins ($7,400): Wiggins struggled against Utah earlier in the season, only scoring 49.25 DraftKings points in two games. However, Zach LaVine was present for both of those games. Wiggins has scored at least 20 points in 18 consecutive games. I know Utah is a strong defensive team, but for this price, I could still see Wiggins hitting 5x value. That’s how well he is playing right now.
Danilo Gallinari ($6,200): The Bucks are still the worst team in the league defending small forwards, but both Wilson Chandler and Gallinari were under value by tonight’s price in the first meeting. Gallinari is cheaper and starting, so if you are playing the numbers, Gallo is the one you want.
Dark Horses:
Harrison Barnes ($6,000): Barnes should see an uptick in production with Wesley Matthews out. He has topped 5x value in the three games since the All Star Break anyway. Barnes isn’t a great bet to go nuts, but he is a really good cash game anchor right now, and could see his production hit 6x value with Matthews out.
Tyreke Evans ($5,700): Evans had 65 DraftKings points in two games against the Nets when he was with New Orleans. He has averaged a shade below 5x value so far with Sacramento, but 26.7 DraftKings points per game isn’t bad. He has a good role in the offense, but lacks upside with so many of the same position there to poach his minutes. Evans is probably better left for cash games unless you are building a lineup of reliable options and trying to cash.
Terrence Ross ($5,200): Ross has been a force with Orlando so far. He has 67.25 DraftKings points in just two games. He has a large role in the offense already, and could have a huge game against the defensively challenged Knicks.
My Pick: Ross(SF); Wiggins(SF), Ross(F)
Power Forwards
Best Bets:
Anthony Davis ($10,400): His price looks too low for tonight, a night in which DeMarcus Cousins will serve another suspension for his hobby of collecting technical fouls. Davis put up 60 DraftKings points in the first game against Detroit. With Cousins out of the lineup tonight, he will get to take on Drummond all by himself. He succeeded the first time around. If he does it again, he will be really close to 5x value.
Blake Griffin ($9,100): Griffin destroyed the Hornets up front on Monday, racking up 69.5 DraftKings points. The Hornets had no chance at stopping him. This looks like another solid matchup for Blake against Houston, even though the Rockets have been solid against power forwards. Will his recent hot streak keep going?
Honorable Mention:
Dario Saric ($7,700): I didn’t trust Saric against Draymond Green on Monday. Saric picked up 41.25 DraftKings points. He is a must-play against anyone right now. With Ersan Ilyasova gone and Joel Embiid sidelined, Saric is playing as many minutes as he can handle and averaging 41.4 DraftKings points per game in that span. He sure looks like he can be trusted against anyone right now.
LaMarcus Aldridge ($6,400): Aldridge is a nice cash game staple because he is so consistent. He has not been below 28 DraftKings points or above 38 DraftKings points since January 23rd when he topped 40 against Brooklyn. That includes nearly the entire time that Gasol was out! The Pacers have been notoriously bad against power forwards this year, so maybe Aldridge can bust out of his box a little tonight.
Marcus Morris ($6,000): Morris had one of the best games of his career last night, racking up 57.5 DraftKings points in a whopping 42 minutes. He is turning into one of the best all-around players on the Pistons’ team right now. A couple of weeks ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed of using him against the Pelicans. Now he looks like a solid option.
Dark Horses:
Tobias Harris ($5,300): With Cousins out, that means the Brow will mostly be manning center, leaving Harris alone to deal with Dante Cunningham. Harris put up 36.5 DraftKings points being guarded by Cunningham and Terrence Jones in the first meeting. It looks like it could be another good game for Harris, but his inconsistency makes him a big risk.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($5,000): RHJ has 64 DraftKings points in two games since the All Star Break. He has shown signs of coming into his own before, but with Bojan Bogdanovic being shipped down the coast, Hollis-Jefferson is starting to come into his own. There is potential for another big game against Sacramento.
Trevor Booker ($4,900): Booker technically isn’t a starter, but he plays considerably more minutes than Joe Harris, and is much more productive. Sacramento has been severely undersized up front since trading Cousins, so Booker could have himself a nice game tonight. He doesn’t have to split minutes up front with Hollis-Jefferson anymore, and has enjoyed 28 DraftKings pionts per game since the break.
Skal Labissiere ($3,500): The rookie has seen an exponential increase in playing time without Cousins around, but his production has not been very consistent. Still, Brooklyn is nearly as bad up front, so Labissiere should see a return to the 7x value he was putting up before being shut down by the Timberwolves on Monday.
My pick: Hollis-Jefferson(PF), Labissiere(F); Saric(PF)
Center
Best Bets:
Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,000): Towns put up 80.75 DraftKings points in two games against Utah so far this year, which would leave him under value. Those are solid numbers against Utah, but I have Towns here because he has also been on a tear lately. He has 15 straight games of 20 or more points. It’s the second longest total in the league to teammate Andrew Wiggins. However, if anyone can stop them, it’s Utah.
Nikola Jokic ($8,800): Jokic broke out of his funk with a triple-double against the Bulls last night. That’s one way to keep Mason Plumlee off the court! Jokic is still a bit of a risk with Plumlee around, but he is easily the best player on the team. If only the coaches would play him like it. He put up 58 DraftKings points against the Bucks earlier this month. Look out!
Honorable Mention:
Hassan Whiteside ($8,300): Whiteside has dominated Philadelphia in three games this year. He has 152.25 DraftKings points in those games, and that was with Embiid and Nerlens Noel patrolling the front along with Okafor. Whiteside should do some serious damage once again.
Rudy Gobert ($7,200): The Timberwolves aren’t strong defensively up front. Gobert put up 86 DraftKings points on them in the first two games. Gobert has also found some consistency recently, putting up at least 33 DraftKings points in every February game. That makes him a safe option with nice upside, especially tonight.
DeAndre Jordan ($7,000): Jordan is still capable of big games against undersized opponents. Houston may not be undersized, but they certainly couldn’t stop him in the first meeting. Jordan had 40.75 DraftKings points in that game. Jordan is fresh off a game in which he just dominated the Hornets up front. He could do the same here, and won’t be as highly owned as the other options on this list.
Dark Horses:
Pau Gasol ($5,600): Gasol has 57 DraftKings points in the two games since his return, so it seems that he is back to what he has done all year with the Spurs. He is not the focal part of the offense, but he still provides solid production across the board. He is likely better suited for cash games where consistency pays off since the Spurs have such a balanced attack.
Kyle O’Quinn ($5,200): Both Joakim Noah and Willy Hernangomez are out, so O’Quinn will play until he passes out from exhaustion. There is no doubt that he will be one of the best values of the night.
DeWayne Dedmon ($4,900): The return of Gasol has actually served to stabilize Dedmon. He has averaged 30 DraftKings points per game over the last three games, and he has played so well that the Spurs want him in the lineup at least 20 minutes per game. As long as they keep to that, his production should remain around 7x value.
My pick: O’Quinn(C); Jokic(C), O’Quinn(UTIL)
Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, and our picks for NHL and the PGA tour! We even have some EPL picks coming your way! Once again, make sure to follow our Twitter feed leading up to tipoff!